It was a long time I didn't prepare Ravioli. I finally got the KitchenAid pasta roller attachment so it was time. This made a huge difference, so much easier compared to my manual Imperia pasta roller (that I left in Italy as too heavy).
I forgot how nice it is making them, and how hard... I completely lost my dexterity (manualita'). By the end I made some nice ones at least.
These specific ones with pumpkin are from Mantova area (2 hours from Milan) and they call them Tortelli. They are very special and not for everyone as they are quite sweet, with pumpkin and Amaretto cookies. They traditionally have a secret ingredient, Mostarda, candied fruit and a mustard-flavored syrup. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it here so I skipped it but for sure it gives a lot of character to the dish.
INGREDIENTS: (4 servings)
450g flour
50g semolina flour (if you don't have it use only flour)
3 eggs (weight them and add water till you reach 225g)
500g pumpkin
20g Amaretti
20g Parmigiano Reggiano
nutmeg
lemon zest
salt
pepper
butter
sage
INSTRUCTIONS:
At least a couple of hours before starting to prepare your pumpkin and dough (you can also do it the night before).
Cut the pumpkin (I kept the skin and peeled it when cooked, easier) bake it in the oven, covered by a foil sheet, for about an hour at 160C/310F. It will be a bit caramelized. Put it in the fridge to rest
Prepare your dough putting the flour on the counter, eggs with water in the middle and start incorporating the flour into the wet ingredients. The dough will be hard to work, and will take lot of energy!!! Mix it for 10'15' till you have a nice smooth ball. Cover it with plastic wrap and make it rest in the fridge for a couple of hours.
At the end of resting time, smash the pumpkin with a fork, crack the Amaretti with your hands and add them. Add the parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg and lemon zest.
Divide your pasta dough into smaller parts and start rolling it, starting from the thickest, reducing thickness every time. I roll the pasta into the thickest 3/4 times, folding it in two. Make sure you keep the other dough always covered or it will dry.
When you reach the thickness you like start to place your filling (about 1 teaspoon) along the pasta sheet.
To close them you can fold the sheet over, you can overlap two pasta sheets, make sure you take the air out pressing well around the filling. To shape them you can just cut them with a roller, with a knife, with a ravioli mold, with anything you find in your kitchen that can be used in a creative way
Transfer the ravioli on a pan sprinkled with rice/regular/semolina flour so they won't stick
Cook them in salty boiling water for 3-5 minutes, depending on size/thickness, take them out with a skimmer. I prepared some butter and sage in a pan and I transferred my ravioli into the pan.
Serve with lot of Parmigiano, pepper and some Amaretti crumbs if you like
Buon Appetito!
TIP: if you have extra dough use it to make tagliatelle. You can serve your ravioli the next day or a few hours later, keep them covered in the fridge. You can freeze them (make sure you put rice or semolina flour or they will stick together.